Students, teachers to feel effects of Keystone Exams

Since the Keystone Exams were first mentioned, the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District has made its opinion of the tests known.

“We have continuously, from the start, opposed state mandates on testing of our children,” District Education Committee Chairwoman Karen Cruickshank said. “Despite our best efforts, and letters from hundreds of citizens, the Keystone exams continue to move forward in this state.”

At this week’s school board meeting, Cruickshank laid out what the exams mean for district students and teachers, an effect she labeled as “ludicrous.”

Starting with the Class of 2017 (currently eighth-graders), passing the exams will be required for graduation. Those not passing a portion would be required to go through remediation and retesting.

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While passing each segment (Algebra 1, biology and literature) is not necessary for current high school students to graduate, Cruickshank said the impact is significant, especially on juniors.

“What this meant for our current junior class is that every student had to take all three Keystone exams, and none of those are junior courses,” Cruickshank said. “They had to take time out of their regular classes to be tested on these state-mandated classes that don’t have any bearing on graduation but do have bearing on the academic profile of our schools. They are also busy with SATs, SAT prep classes and many have (Advanced Placement) classes and tests.”

While the Keystones are mandatory under current guidelines, school districts can decide if they want to enforce remediation and retesting for those who don’t pass in grades 9-11.

“There are many districts out there that are planning on remediating and retesting, even though it is not necessary for graduation,” Cruickshank said. “We discussed this long and hard, and we decided we are not going to have our high school students do that. We believe that the standards we place on our curriculum have resulted in a rich educational experience for all of our children. We believe this testing is a waste of class time, a waste of our teachers’ time and our students’ ability to take other courses that can further develop their skills, competency and their interests.”

While the district will not enforce remediation and retesting, parents can choose to have their children go through the process, which the district will facilitate.

Current testing does not impact graduation right now, but it is an integral part of a new state-created teacher evaluation model, a concept that Cruickshank called “infuriating.”